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I've read more info on minocycline and I'm excited too! From the other thread it sounds like a larger study is definitely in the offing, sooner rather than later

Re the article, I found Reingold and McFarlands comments about the Australian work which seriously questions if MS is an autoimmune disorder rather interesting. I would love to know if the reporter (who has MS) independently included this in the article or if she had to ask them about it.

And,

But Reingold and McFarland note that 10 years' experience shows that drug therapies targeting the immune system do modify the disease, which contradicts the new findings' key implication.

I would also love to know if that last phrase "which contradicts the new findings' key implication", is that of the reporter or of Reingold and McFarland.

Just because the drugs modify the disease doesn't discount that research does it?

BTW, I noticed McFarland's comments about antegren too, but quite honestly would probably have missed them if I hadn't been reading your posts.

I also found McFarland's comments about Vitamin D interesting. Even though they weren't "terribly convincing",

the vitamin D pathway may contribute in some way to susceptibility or influencing the course of the disease.

Guess what, I've been trying to learn more about Vitamin D and at least one form of it is a hormone.

I do wish I had more time. I really do appreciate your expertise and the link to the NMSS research. I only took a quick glance but saw both minocycline and estradiol (another form of estrogen) on the list.

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But Reingold and McFarland note that 10 years' experience shows that drug therapies targeting the immune system do modify the disease, which contradicts the new findings' key implication.

It absolutely does not contradict it. It may have an effect, but maybe it's "lower in the chain" of the problem-- e.g., if the inflammation is not the source of the true problem, but a reaction to the problem which by itself also causes some damage (just like a stuffy nose is an over-reaction of your body to a cold virus that causes more trouble than it is worth), then you will see some modest benefits treating that (e.g., a decongestant doesn't solve the problem of the cold, just the symptom and in the meanwhile it prevents you from having a red nose-- yes, that was forced, but you get what i mean )

I'm still doing well on Avonex and hope that you're fine too. Have you heard much in the States about " Goat's Serum?" I appreciate that most of the great advances do seem to come from you - in the States- but there is great excitement here about this new drug therapy - with little or no side effects. It is being trialled here in UK and the trials are now full. I'm hoping to get on one in the future. The effects have been astounding, and has given hope to us over here. It's early days yet, but its looking good - so far. By the way the serum is extracted from goats and is in no way harmful to them!!!!
One of the main hospitals in London is trialing this - it is for real.

BACKGROUND: A protective effect of vitamin D on risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) has been proposed, but no prospective studies have addressed this hypothesis. METHODS: Dietary vitamin D intake was examined directly in relation to risk of MS in two large cohorts of women: the Nurses' Health Study (NHS; 92,253 women followed from 1980 to 2000) and Nurses' Health Study II (NHS II; 95,310 women followed from 1991 to 2001). Diet was assessed at baseline and updated every 4 years thereafter. During the follow-up, 173 cases of MS with onset of symptoms after baseline were confirmed. RESULTS: The pooled age-adjusted relative risk (RR) comparing women in the highest quintile of total vitamin D intake at baseline with those in the lowest was 0.67 (95% CI = 0.40 to 1.12; p for trend = 0.03). Intake of vitamin D from supplements was also inversely associated with risk of MS; the RR comparing women with intake of >or=400 IU/day with women with no supplemental vitamin D intake was 0.59 (95% CI = 0.38 to 0.91; p for trend = 0.006). No association was found between vitamin D from food and MS incidence. CONCLUSION: These results support a protective effect of vitamin D intake on risk of developing MS.

PMID: 14718698 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

My neuro actually told me to take 2000mg of Vitamin D3 daily-which I do for the most part (still somehow forget at times)

Basically what I am getting from it is that this is a better treatment to start before the onset of MS. I have 2 daughters, and they take 800mg of Vit D daily. Vitamin D can be toxic if taken in too large a dose, but I have been taking the 2000mg daily for aobut 2-3 years now with no problem, but I am afraid for my children to take that dose. I don't get a lot of Vit D in my diet, as I don't tolerate milk products well. I take calcium with Vit D, and I take the D3 supplement. I don't know if it helps, but my neuro suggested this, so I do it. There are different kinds of Vit D. You must take the D3.

Thanks, I know I read this one but could not find it in my favorates-very good article. Its funny, because back when they were trying to say all my symptoms were psychiatric, I actually was given a diagnosis of seasonal afective disorder or SAD, which is a depression seen from lack of sunlight in the winter. Since I live in sunny Florida, I never believed it, but I definately had more problems then in the winter. Now more in the summer only because of heat intolerance.

Here's another link that people may find interesting. It's a research update from the Nancy Davis Center Without Walls Program. As I understand it, whatever research is sponsored by the foundation must be public.

Current affiliated universities include: Harvard, Yale, University of Southern California, University of California at San Francisco, Cleveland Clinic, and the Oregon Health Sciences University. Thus, the link features brief updates on some of their respective research.

Yale is focused on stem cells, USC is studying a vaccine in patients with secondary progressive MS and remission of MS during pregnancy, UCSF is studying genetics, the OHSU is studying TCR peptide vaccination..

This year they report that 100% of patients receiving a vaccine composed of peptides in an adjuvant developed a vigorous protective response.

, they also reported on the alpha lipoic acid and have started an investigation of FK-506,

...an innumosuppressant that can stimulate regeneration of nerves and protect nerves from damage

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